Repeat populated CBS led this fourth Tuesday in December in the overnights, with an advantage of a hefty 60 percent over No. 2 NBC. Third overall was Fox, followed by lowly ABC and a night of non-originals on The CW. CBS, in fact, finished first in every half-hour with its encore combination of NCIS (8.1 rating/13 share), spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles (7.4/12) and older-skewing The Good Wife (5.0/ 8). For CBS’ upcoming midseason line-up, which will not impact Tuesday, see TV Tidbits below.

Second-place NBC populated the evening with game show Minute to Win it (#2: 4.2/ 7 at 8 p.m.) and a repeat of Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas, which averaged a 4.3/ 7 from 9-11 p.m. and fared as follows by half-hour:

Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas R (NBC)

9:00 p.m.: 4.2/ 7 (#2)

9:30 p.m.: 4.4/ 7 (#2)

10:00 p.m.: 4.4/ 7 (#2)

10:30 p.m.: 4.1/ 7 (#2)

Elsewhere, Fox aired opened with a repeat of Glee (#3: 3.2/ 5 at 8 p.m.), followed by new game show Million Dollar Money Drop at a third-place 3.6/ 6 at 9 p.m. Despite the lackluster overnight performance, Million Dollar Money Drop could indeed win the hour among adults 18-49 given the lack of original competition. Ditto for NBC’s Minute to Win It on NBC one hour earlier.

ABC dud Skating with the Stars remained just that, with a fourth-place 2.7/ 5 in the overnights at 8 p.m., followed by repeats of No Ordinary Family (#4: 2.3/ 4) and Detroit: 1-8-7 (#3: 3.1/ 5) from 9-11 p.m. As a reminder, upcoming Dana Delany crime solver Body of Proof steps into the Tuesday 10 p.m. hour in April after Detroit 1-8-7 concludes the season (and potentially its series-run).

The CW capped off the evening with repeats of One Tree Hill (#5: 0.9/ 2) and Life Unexpected (#5: 0.7/ 1), which officially concludes with back-to-back episodes on January 17.

It was another week of mixed leadership, with CBS first in households, total viewers and adults 25-54 (for 12 out of the last 13 weeks); and the home of The Sing-Off, NBC, first among adults 18-49 and adults 18-34. Led by two nights (and four hours) of improved The Sing-Off (versus one night and two hours one year earlier) and another stellar Sunday Night Football match-up (Green Bay at New England), NBC built year-to-year by as much as 18 percent among adults 25-54. CBS posted minor erosion, as did ABC and The CW. But Fox (which ranked fourth in households and total viewers, and third demographically) lost about one-third of its audience.

Ongoing NBC holiday competition The Sing-Off remained on the double-digit plus side from one year earlier, with results for the two nights this week as follows:

The Sing-Off (NBC)

Monday 8-10 p.m.

Viewers: 9.51 million (#21 overall), A18-49: 3.3/ 9 (#13t overall)

Wednesday 8-10 p.m.

Viewers: 8.45 million (#23), A18-49: 2.9/ 8 (#17t)

Needless to say, you can expect The Sing-Off to return next December…and beyond.

In original holiday special news, Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to You on a bust on ABC, with 4.94 million viewers (#48) and a 1.1/ 3 among adults 18-49 (#67t) in the Monday 9 p.m. hour. Given the low returns, you have to wonder why the networks continue to roll out celebrity hosted variety hours that never seem to deliver.

In season-finale news, CBS’ Survivor: Nicaragua closed another successful edition with 13.58 million viewers (#7) and a 4.1/11 among adults 18-49 (#3) in the Sunday 8:30-10:30 p.m. block. NBC’s The Biggest Loser also perked up, with 11.05 million viewers (#14) and a 4.0/11 in the demo (#4t) in the Tuesday 9-11 time period. But Hell’s Kitchen on Fox was nothing unusual at 5.86 million viewers (#34) and a 2.6/ 7 in the demo (#21) at 9 p.m. on Wednesday. Maybe its time for Fox to give Gordon Ramsay a bit of a rest.

What follows are the live plus same day ratings for the week of December 13, 2010 (with percent change versus the comparable year-ago week in parentheses), followed by the top 30 rated programs for the week, and the top rated networks on basic cable.

Upcoming OWN: Oprah Winfrey network has announced Gayle King and news anchor Robin Meade as the moderators for Ask Oprah’s All Stars, a series of four two-hour primetime specials with Dr. Phil McGraw, Dr. Mehmet Oz and financial whiz Suze Orman. The first kicks-off on Sunday, Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. ET. To accommodate her schedule, talker The Gayle King Show will now launch on Monday, Jan. 10 at 10 a.m. ET. Yes, it pays career-wise when your best friend is Oprah Winfrey.

-CBS Unveils Midseason Schedule:

CBS has announced changes in primetime, including four new series (sitcom Mad Love, spin-off drama Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, dramedy Chaos and reality/competition Live to Dance) and new time periods for Rules of Engagement and The Defenders. Blue Bloods, in addition, will be tested for four weeks in the Wednesday 10 p.m. hour effective on Jan. 19, moving back to Fridays at 10 p.m. on Feb. 11. The upcoming changes will impact four nights – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Live to Dance, the new Paula Abdul dance/competition (which premieres on Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 8 p.m., then moves to Wednesday one night later), will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. until the new season of Survivor: Redemption begins on Feb. 16. It leads into Criminal Minds and Blue Bloods. Once the Blue Bloods test ends, spin-off Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior steps in on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 10 p.m.

Current Wednesday 10 p.m. occupant The Defenders shifts to Fridays at 8 p.m. on Feb. 16, leading into CSI: NY and Blue Bloods. Monday will have a new occupant, Mad Love, and its replaces Rules of Engagement at 8:30 p.m. effective on Feb. 21. Rules of Engagement moves to Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. out of The Big Bang Theory on Feb. 24 (and in place of $#*! My Dad Says, which goes on hiatus). Effective Friday, April 1, The Defenders takes a break and Chaos anchors the evening.

Here is CBS’ revised schedule (with an asterisk next to the new shows), followed by the new program descriptions:

8:00 p.m. The Defenders (new day and time effective Feb. 11), *Chaos (effective April 1)

9:00 p.m. CSI: NY

10:00 p.m. Blue Bloods

Saturday

8:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday (drama repeats)

9:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday (drama repeats)

10:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery

Sunday

7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes

8:00 p.m. The Amazing Race

9:00 p.m. Undercover Boss

10:00 p.m. CSI: Miami

New Program Descriptions

Chaos

A group of rogue CIA spies in the Office of Disruptive Services is the focus of this comedy-drama. The ensemble cast includes Freddy Rodriguez, Eric Close, James Murray, Tim Blake Nelson and Carmen Ejogo.

Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior

The action follows another group of BAU operatives headlined by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker. The cast includes Beau Garrett, Matt Ryan and Michael Kelly.

Live to Dance

Paula Abdul is the mentor and executive producer of this dance/competition featuring competitors from all styles, backgrounds and ages.

Mad Love

A quartet of single thirtysomething year-old friends in New York (Jason Biggs, Sarah Chalke, Judy Greer and Tyler Labine) is the focus of this Friends-like sitcom.

__________________________________________________________________

TV Trivia Time:

Working 9 to 5

Who played the role of Violet Newstead originated by Lily Tomlin in theatrical 9 to 5 in the short-lived sitcom spin-off of the same name?

a)Shelley Fabares

b)Lori Loughlin

c)Rita Moreno

d)Rhea Perlman

e)Jessica Walter

The answer to yesterday’s question…

Who played Heather Locklear’s mother on the original Melrose Place?

a)Loni Anderson

b)Lynda Carter

c)Barbara Eden

d)Linda Gray

e)Marilu Henner

Is: d) Linda Gray, who made a few appearances as Hillary Michaels on Melrose Place before moving into short-lived 1994-95 spin-off Models, Inc.

Repeat populated CBS led this fourth Tuesday in December in the overnights, with an advantage of a hefty 60 percent over No. 2 NBC. Third overall was Fox, followed by lowly ABC and a night of non-originals on The CW. CBS, in fact, finished first in every half-hour with its encore combination of NCIS (8.1 rating/13 share), spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles (7.4/12) and older-skewing The Good Wife (5.0/ 8). For CBS’ upcoming midseason line-up, which will not impact Tuesday, see TV Tidbits below.

Second-place NBC populated the evening with game show Minute to Win it (#2: 4.2/ 7 at 8 p.m.) and a repeat of Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas, which averaged a 4.3/ 7 from 9-11 p.m. and fared as follows by half-hour:

Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas R (NBC)

9:00 p.m.: 4.2/ 7 (#2)

9:30 p.m.: 4.4/ 7 (#2)

10:00 p.m.: 4.4/ 7 (#2)

10:30 p.m.: 4.1/ 7 (#2)

Elsewhere, Fox aired opened with a repeat of Glee (#3: 3.2/ 5 at 8 p.m.), followed by new game show Million Dollar Money Drop at a third-place 3.6/ 6 at 9 p.m. Despite the lackluster overnight performance, Million Dollar Money Drop could indeed win the hour among adults 18-49 given the lack of original competition. Ditto for NBC’s Minute to Win It on NBC one hour earlier.

ABC dud Skating with the Stars remained just that, with a fourth-place 2.7/ 5 in the overnights at 8 p.m., followed by repeats of No Ordinary Family (#4: 2.3/ 4) and Detroit: 1-8-7 (#3: 3.1/ 5) from 9-11 p.m. As a reminder, upcoming Dana Delany crime solver Body of Proof steps into the Tuesday 10 p.m. hour in April after Detroit 1-8-7 concludes the season (and potentially its series-run).

The CW capped off the evening with repeats of One Tree Hill (#5: 0.9/ 2) and Life Unexpected (#5: 0.7/ 1), which officially concludes with back-to-back episodes on January 17.

It was another week of mixed leadership, with CBS first in households, total viewers and adults 25-54 (for 12 out of the last 13 weeks); and the home of The Sing-Off, NBC, first among adults 18-49 and adults 18-34. Led by two nights (and four hours) of improved The Sing-Off (versus one night and two hours one year earlier) and another stellar Sunday Night Football match-up (Green Bay at New England), NBC built year-to-year by as much as 18 percent among adults 25-54. CBS posted minor erosion, as did ABC and The CW. But Fox (which ranked fourth in households and total viewers, and third demographically) lost about one-third of its audience.

Ongoing NBC holiday competition The Sing-Off remained on the double-digit plus side from one year earlier, with results for the two nights this week as follows:

The Sing-Off (NBC)

Monday 8-10 p.m.

Viewers: 9.51 million (#21 overall), A18-49: 3.3/ 9 (#13t overall)

Wednesday 8-10 p.m.

Viewers: 8.45 million (#23), A18-49: 2.9/ 8 (#17t)

Needless to say, you can expect The Sing-Off to return next December…and beyond.

In original holiday special news, Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to You on a bust on ABC, with 4.94 million viewers (#48) and a 1.1/ 3 among adults 18-49 (#67t) in the Monday 9 p.m. hour. Given the low returns, you have to wonder why the networks continue to roll out celebrity hosted variety hours that never seem to deliver.

In season-finale news, CBS’ Survivor: Nicaragua closed another successful edition with 13.58 million viewers (#7) and a 4.1/11 among adults 18-49 (#3) in the Sunday 8:30-10:30 p.m. block. NBC’s The Biggest Loser also perked up, with 11.05 million viewers (#14) and a 4.0/11 in the demo (#4t) in the Tuesday 9-11 time period. But Hell’s Kitchen on Fox was nothing unusual at 5.86 million viewers (#34) and a 2.6/ 7 in the demo (#21) at 9 p.m. on Wednesday. Maybe its time for Fox to give Gordon Ramsay a bit of a rest.

What follows are the live plus same day ratings for the week of December 13, 2010 (with percent change versus the comparable year-ago week in parentheses), followed by the top 30 rated programs for the week, and the top rated networks on basic cable.

Upcoming OWN: Oprah Winfrey network has announced Gayle King and news anchor Robin Meade as the moderators for Ask Oprah’s All Stars, a series of four two-hour primetime specials with Dr. Phil McGraw, Dr. Mehmet Oz and financial whiz Suze Orman. The first kicks-off on Sunday, Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. ET. To accommodate her schedule, talker The Gayle King Show will now launch on Monday, Jan. 10 at 10 a.m. ET. Yes, it pays career-wise when your best friend is Oprah Winfrey.

-CBS Unveils Midseason Schedule:

CBS has announced changes in primetime, including four new series (sitcom Mad Love, spin-off drama Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, dramedy Chaos and reality/competition Live to Dance) and new time periods for Rules of Engagement and The Defenders. Blue Bloods, in addition, will be tested for four weeks in the Wednesday 10 p.m. hour effective on Jan. 19, moving back to Fridays at 10 p.m. on Feb. 11. The upcoming changes will impact four nights – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Live to Dance, the new Paula Abdul dance/competition (which premieres on Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 8 p.m., then moves to Wednesday one night later), will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. until the new season of Survivor: Redemption begins on Feb. 16. It leads into Criminal Minds and Blue Bloods. Once the Blue Bloods test ends, spin-off Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior steps in on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 10 p.m.

Current Wednesday 10 p.m. occupant The Defenders shifts to Fridays at 8 p.m. on Feb. 16, leading into CSI: NY and Blue Bloods. Monday will have a new occupant, Mad Love, and its replaces Rules of Engagement at 8:30 p.m. effective on Feb. 21. Rules of Engagement moves to Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. out of The Big Bang Theory on Feb. 24 (and in place of $#*! My Dad Says, which goes on hiatus). Effective Friday, April 1, The Defenders takes a break and Chaos anchors the evening.

Here is CBS’ revised schedule (with an asterisk next to the new shows), followed by the new program descriptions:

8:00 p.m. The Defenders (new day and time effective Feb. 11), *Chaos (effective April 1)

9:00 p.m. CSI: NY

10:00 p.m. Blue Bloods

Saturday

8:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday (drama repeats)

9:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday (drama repeats)

10:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery

Sunday

7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes

8:00 p.m. The Amazing Race

9:00 p.m. Undercover Boss

10:00 p.m. CSI: Miami

New Program Descriptions

Chaos

A group of rogue CIA spies in the Office of Disruptive Services is the focus of this comedy-drama. The ensemble cast includes Freddy Rodriguez, Eric Close, James Murray, Tim Blake Nelson and Carmen Ejogo.

Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior

The action follows another group of BAU operatives headlined by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker. The cast includes Beau Garrett, Matt Ryan and Michael Kelly.

Live to Dance

Paula Abdul is the mentor and executive producer of this dance/competition featuring competitors from all styles, backgrounds and ages.

Mad Love

A quartet of single thirtysomething year-old friends in New York (Jason Biggs, Sarah Chalke, Judy Greer and Tyler Labine) is the focus of this Friends-like sitcom.

__________________________________________________________________

TV Trivia Time:

Working 9 to 5

Who played the role of Violet Newstead originated by Lily Tomlin in theatrical 9 to 5 in the short-lived sitcom spin-off of the same name?

a)Shelley Fabares

b)Lori Loughlin

c)Rita Moreno

d)Rhea Perlman

e)Jessica Walter

The answer to yesterday’s question…

Who played Heather Locklear’s mother on the original Melrose Place?

a)Loni Anderson

b)Lynda Carter

c)Barbara Eden

d)Linda Gray

e)Marilu Henner

Is: d) Linda Gray, who made a few appearances as Hillary Michaels on Melrose Place before moving into short-lived 1994-95 spin-off Models, Inc.